High-lift systems are utilized on wings of aircraft to increase lift or drag during take-offs and landings. One type of high-lift system includes flaps on leading and trailing edges of the wings. The flaps are moveable control surfaces that may be extended during take-offs and landings, and retracted at cruising speeds.
Typically, leading and trailing edge flaps are controlled through torque tubes. In particular, a first torque tube is coupled to multiple leading edge flaps of a wing, and a second torque tube is coupled to multiple trailing edge flaps of the wing. However, torque tubes add weight to an aircraft. Moreover, torque tubes expand the size of a wing in that each wing needs to be large enough to accommodate a torque tube.
As aircraft continue to develop, manufacturers seek to reduce the size and weight of various components of the aircraft. In short, lighter aircraft consume less fuel during operation.